Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream

By efriend

NOTE: This recipe makes a large 10-inch layer cake with tall layers. The recipe can be easily halved for use in a 8 or 9-inch bunt pan, a thiner 8-inch layer cake, or cupcakes. Rich caramel cake covered in a thick layer of silky smooth, not-too-sweet salted caramel Italian meringue buttercream. The perfect cake for caramel lovers.
Author: Rebecca Blackwell

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 sticks of butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light or dark brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 + 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 recipe Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 10-inch cake pans and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
In a medium size bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk until well combined.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy - about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly incorporating each before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. This should take about 3 minutes and the mixture should look very light and fluffy and be substantially increased in volume.
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 4 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. With each addition, beat on low speed until incorporated, just so your ingredients don't fly out all over the counter. Then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, until smooth, before adding the next addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before each addition. Mix in the vanilla on low speed until incorporated.
Distribute the batter evenly into both pans, smoothing the tops with a spoon or spatula and bake in the center of your oven for 55 - 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, with only a crumb or two sticking to it. The cakes will be a deep golden brown.
Remove the pans to wire racks and allow to cool for 5 minutes before gently turning them out of the pans onto the wire racks to cool completely.
*If not frosting immediately after the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month. If freezing, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil.